Chinese Democracy is one of the few records to successfully encompass every variation of rock.

[Guest NGOG]

This is why Chinese Democracy is so epic. A lot of people tried to foolishly label this record industrial given Axl's fleeting interest in Trent Reznor at the start of the century but the finished product couldn't do less justice to such a theory. From the Spanish/Latin guitars of If The World to the epics of TWAT and Prostitute to the industrial edge of Better right up to the rockers of Chinese Democracy and creeping metal of Shacklers. It's one of the few high profile records in musical history to neglect its one dimensional past and established groove in favour of an all-genre release. It's one of the most radical attempts at experimentation, in terms of context, ever.

Edited May 26, 2013 by NGOG

[bacardimayne]

EVERY?

[Caught in a Coma]

Do you listen to a lot of music?

[ChristmasFnatic]

Hence a demo/experimental album.

[sailaway]

This is why Chinese Democracy is so epic. A lot of people tried to foolishly label this record industrial given Axl's fleeting interest in Trent Reznor at the start of the century but the finished product couldn't do less justice to such a theory. From the Spanish/Latin guitars of If The World to the epics of TWAT and Prostitute to the industrial edge of Better right up to the rockers of Chinese Democracy and creeping metal of Shacklers. It's one of the few high profile records in musical history to neglect its one dimensional past and established groove in favour of an all-genre release. It's one of the most radical attempts at experimentation, in terms of context, ever.

Definitely! Covers a wide variety of varied music and still is no less than amazing.

I think it may be more appreciated in the future.

[Guest NGOG]

Do you listen to a lot of music?

Prior to Chinese Democracy I had only experienced the spoken word!

(you fucking retard)

[DieselDaisy]

Queen were better at genre hopping. Queen could go from hard rock to English music hall, opera, prog, folk and metal in one album. Pick any of their albums from the 1970s and you will find this to be the case.

[nambis]

seriously, almost 3000 posts in 1 month, 4 years? where do these people come from, and why won't they go away?

Edited May 26, 2013 by nambis

[Un42nutzly]

I agree

[Bruno P.]

Queen were better at genre hopping. Queen could go from hard rock to English music hall, opera, prog, folk and metal in one album. Pick any of their albums from the 1970s and you will find this to be the case.

Yes, but he's not claiming that GnR is greater than Queen. He's claiming that one record could encompass a lot of variations of rock. Obviously some less known musicians and bands did that, but as mainstream bands, not many did what Guns did with Chinese.

[luciusfunk]

Queen were better at genre hopping. Queen could go from hard rock to English music hall, opera, prog, folk and metal in one album. Pick any of their albums from the 1970s and you will find this to be the case.

Yes, but he's not claiming that GnR is greater than Queen. He's claiming that one record could encompass a lot of variations of rock. Obviously some less known musicians and bands did that, but as mainstream bands, not many did what Guns did with Chinese.

Are you saying Queen is less mainstream than Guns N' Roses?

Queen were better at genre hopping. Queen could go from hard rock to English music hall, opera, prog, folk and metal in one album. Pick any of their albums from the 1970s and you will find this to be the case.

[Voodoochild]

Queen isn't exactly current.

The problem with Chinese Democracy IMHO is that the although the album sounds overproduced, some stuff there sounded unfinished.

[Rustycage]

"Let's throw everything but the kitchen sink into the mix."

Sounds desperate

[Bruno P.]

Are you saying Queen is less mainstream than Guns N' Roses?

Queen isn't exactly current.

[Bobbo]

Every? No.

Some? Kinda.

Successfully? Lmfao.

[Rdeyahlxp]

I still believe it would have been on par in its own right or a slight step below AFD had Bucket stayed in the band. The final product was OK, but the initial vision and genius of the project went down the shitter thanks to Axl's procrastrination, which is to blame for Bucket leaving.

[themadcaplaughs]

I'll certainly concede that Chinese Democracy is a great album; I'd even say a top ten of 2000-2010, but to say it covers EVERY genre of modern rock is a bit hyperbolic. Many of the songs certainly display eclectic sounds, probably due to the sheer variety of players involved and the virtuosity of musicians like Buckethead and Chris Pittman, but at the end of the day it is still identifiable as a rock record. I'd even pigeonhole it further and say it mainly leads towards ballads. Still, you can categorize almost every track into three different categories

Hard-rockers: Chinese Democracy, Shackler's Revenge (albeit this one definitely has a lot going on), Better, Scraped, Riad N' the Bedouins

Mid-tempo "slow burners": If the World, Sorry, I.R.S.

Ballads: Street of Dreams (although this one could arguably be in the previous category), There was a Time (albeit with many excellent guitar solos), Catcher in the Rye, Madagascar, This I Love, Prostitute.

Some drum beats, shred solos, and Ron wanking on a fretless guitar, while different from your typical "hard rock" album, is certainly not as broad as the OP suggests.

I still believe it would have been on par in its own right or a slight step below AFD had Bucket stayed in the band. The final product was OK, but the initial vision and genius of the project went down the shitter thanks to Axl's procrastrination, which is to blame for Bucket leaving.

As someone who's been interested in Buckethead since the early 1990s, and knows a few people in his camp, I can say that while there are probably aces in the hole from Bucket in unreleased material, Buckethead did not have a TON of input into the songs that became Chinese Democracy. Obviously he developed some riffs that were evolved into songs (the most notable being "Shackler's Revenge") but, as we have seen, most of the songs were in working order by 2000. Buckethead just added some really great icing to the cake (i.e. the solos in "Chinese Democracy" and "There was a Time.")

Edited May 26, 2013 by themadcaplaughs

[luciusfunk]

Queen isn't exactly current.

The problem with Chinese Democracy IMHO is that the although the album sounds overproduced, some stuff there sounded unfinished.

Not that Guns is all that current.

Rustycage, I finally saw your signature. Awesome sig.

[Nosaj Thing]

Every? No.

Some? Kinda.

Successfully? Lmfao.

[wasted]

It mixes 70s classic rock with many 90s influences. So I think theres more elements, each song is like a new album. Its the lyrics that hold it together. It is what it is, it's Chinese Democracy.

I'll certainly concede that Chinese Democracy is a great album; I'd even say a top ten of 2000-2010, but to say it covers EVERY genre of modern rock is a bit hyperbolic. Many of the songs certainly display eclectic sounds, probably due to the sheer variety of players involved and the virtuosity of musicians like Buckethead and Chris Pittman, but at the end of the day it is still identifiable as a rock record. I'd even pigeonhole it further and say it mainly leads towards ballads. Still, you can categorize almost every track into three different categories

Hard-rockers: Chinese Democracy, Shackler's Revenge (albeit this one definitely has a lot going on), Better, Scraped, Riad N' the Bedouins

Mid-tempo "slow burners": If the World, Sorry, I.R.S.

Ballads: Street of Dreams (although this one could arguably be in the previous category), There was a Time (albeit with many excellent guitar solos), Catcher in the Rye, Madagascar, This I Love, Prostitute.

Some drum beats, shred solos, and Ron wanking on a fretless guitar, while different from your typical "hard rock" album, is certainly not as broad as the OP suggests.

I still believe it would have been on par in its own right or a slight step below AFD had Bucket stayed in the band. The final product was OK, but the initial vision and genius of the project went down the shitter thanks to Axl's procrastrination, which is to blame for Bucket leaving.

As someone who's been interested in Buckethead since the early 1990s, and knows a few people in his camp, I can say that while there are probably aces in the hole from Bucket in unreleased material, Buckethead did not have a TON of input into the songs that became Chinese Democracy. Obviously he developed some riffs that were evolved into songs (the most notable being "Shackler's Revenge") but, as we have seen, most of the songs were in working order by 2000. Buckethead just added some really great icing to the cake (i.e. the solos in "Chinese Democracy" and "There was a Time.")

great solo on ITW too. I love Sorry and Scraped.

[Bruno P.]

As someone who's been interested in Buckethead since the early 1990s, and knows a few people in his camp, I can say that while there are probably aces in the hole from Bucket in unreleased material, Buckethead did not have a TON of input into the songs that became Chinese Democracy. Obviously he developed some riffs that were evolved into songs (the most notable being "Shackler's Revenge") but, as we have seen, most of the songs were in working order by 2000. Buckethead just added some really great icing to the cake (i.e. the solos in "Chinese Democracy" and "There was a Time.")

But when he joined the band most songs were already written... That's probably why he didn't have that much input. He worked on then and made them much better anyway.

[Tyler Drama]

Do you listen to a lot of music?

Prior to Chinese Democracy I had only experienced the spoken word!

(you fucking retard)

I loled

[Coma16]

Do you listen to a lot of music?

Prior to Chinese Democracy I had only experienced the spoken word!

(you fucking retard)

I loled

Me too lol

[shotgunblues1978]

While it doesn't encompass "every" variation of rock it is a very eclectic album. You can pick apart the influences on each individual song but as an album there's nothing else quite like it, which is part of its appeal. There aren't many other artists that would have songs like Shackler's Revenge and This I Love on the same album; regardless of whether or not you enoyed CD you have to at least acknowledge that Axl created a very unique album when it is taken in as a whole.

[maynard]

what the op is trying to say is that the album goes nowhere. it's an orgy of influences and production creating a bizarre album that uses layers of guitar chords and shredding + drum machines and synths (very dated sounds btw) to make it sound "complex" when in reality the songs are very simple and would've worked better in a guitar+bass+drums+piano set.