Rate Chinese

[Rustycage]

Would anyone ever be disappointed leaving a GNR show without hearing CD?

"It's cool man. I'll just turn on my spotify."

Yeah, I would. I've seen them 9 times since 2006 and was only fortunate to hear TWAT performed once. I left a little disappointed that it wasn't played at every show since it's in my top five of all time favourite GNR songs.

Ok. So that's one so far.

If you consider that these last years attendance has ridiculously decreased to Axl boring, stale shows, I would think that one or two fans disappointed are a high margin.

If he played TWAT more, people would show up.

[maynard]

Twat is so overrated. Still trying to find all this epicness it's supposed to have.

[Rustycage]

TWAT has 1.2 million plays on Spotify. That's as many as Mama Kin from Lies. Totally legit.

[Nosaj Thing]

TWAT has 1.2 million plays on Spotify. That's as many as Mama Kin from Lies. Totally legit.

A fact (if we absolutely ignore what 'fact' means).

[-W.A.R-]

Twat is so overrated. Still trying to find all this epicness it's supposed to have.

the only part i don't like is the hook as kills the flow of the song for me

i think it would have been better if there was no hook and the song just flowed or they composed a hook that wasn't so rough

but nonetheless its still a pretty good song and def one of the best "solo" efforts by Axl

Edited September 17, 2015 by -HollywoodRose-

[AxlsMainMan]

Twat is so overrated. Still trying to find all this epicness it's supposed to have.

Axl's vocals along with Robin and Buckethead's guitar work would be a good place to start.

[wkuk04]

Twat is so overrated. Still trying to find all this epicness it's supposed to have.

I'm still waiting for an ounce of praise for CD from you...

[-W.A.R-]

Twat is so overrated. Still trying to find all this epicness it's supposed to have.

I'm still waiting for an ounce of praise for CD from you...

i did see him say Better was good

[star]

Chinese has it's moments, but too few to mention. Fact is, I don't play it, even although I do own it on CD and Vinyl (unplayed).

Robin's solo on This I Love is the best moment on the album. Axl's piano on The Blues/Street of Dreams is fine also.

Edited September 17, 2015 by star

[Bono]

There are only 4 songs on CD I kinda like. CD, Shackler's, Better and Prostitute and even those are only good in small doses. The rest of the album is pretty much unlistenable. It's just an annoyng desperate attempt to be epic. So much of it is just noise. I don't think I've listened to the album in full since 2008 and I have no idea the last time I listened to any song from that album aside from the four I mentioned and even those it's been a LONG time.

Chinese Democracy is to Guns N Roses what the Prequels are to Star Wars.................... Ok I take that back. Chinese Democracy isn't that bad. Still a complete abominantion in it's own right though, just not prequel bad.

2.8 / 10

[downzy]

For me, it's a 7.5/10.

My only major problem with it (other than Rhiad, which I could never get into) was that by the time the album had come out, it felt kind of stale considering I had heard most of the tracks. I likely would have given it an 8 or 8.5/10 had I only heard one or two songs from the album prior to buying it.

Songs like Madagascar, which I thought was brilliant the first time I heard it at Rio back in 2001, didn't do much for me seven years later when I listened to the recorded version. As a collection of songs it is, in my opinion, great, but as an album mean to be listened as a whole, it suffers from some songs being played out due to years of exposure.

[maynard]

Twat is so overrated. Still trying to find all this epicness it's supposed to have.

I'm still waiting for an ounce of praise for CD from you...

Better (demo) is a good song. Madagascar live at Rio was also very good. Amazing solo by Bucket.

Twat is so overrated. Still trying to find all this epicness it's supposed to have.

Axl's vocals along with Robin and Buckethead's guitar work would be a good place to start.

Axl's vocals are awful, guitar work is good but not epic, BH has a lot of better solos on his solo career. Robin's solo on Better is so much... better.

Twat is so overrated. Still trying to find all this epicness it's supposed to have.

I'm still waiting for an ounce of praise for CD from you...

i did see him say Better was good

I do say it all the time, wkuk is just too sensitive.

Songs like Madagascar, which I thought was brilliant the first time I heard it at Rio back in 2001, didn't do much for me seven years later when I listened to the recorded version.

Exactly the same here. Final version is meh.

[wasted]

Maybe some of the die hards dropped knowing the setlist was about the same. No excitement around a new album. It seemed to take natural course to about 2011.

I go for new material. Not like old new material like Pretty tied up, especially with a different line up. So around 2010 a new album with 3/4 new songs would have got me out to that Dubai show.

Edited September 18, 2015 by wasted

[steve-o]

Golden Gate, easily the best Chinese ever. Track 46, Shanghai rice with shrimp is fucking prime.

[sturginho]

In an objective rock history way the order is obvious.

But everyday I defy rock history and listen to CD. I mean I try with AFD and UYI and theres a few I can listen to. Friday nights is Paradise City. Saturday morning is Used to Love Her. Sunday is a Civil War. It's party music.

CD is great to listen to as an album and just sink into it.

you go on stickin' it to 'the man' Wasted!

[wasted]

In an objective rock history way the order is obvious.

But everyday I defy rock history and listen to CD. I mean I try with AFD and UYI and theres a few I can listen to. Friday nights is Paradise City. Saturday morning is Used to Love Her. Sunday is a Civil War. It's party music.

CD is great to listen to as an album and just sink into it.

you go on stickin' it to 'the man' Wasted!

It's just not how or why I listen to music. I tried Van Halen, I prefer DLR solo album to listen to. I can't listen to music just because Classic Rock says this or that record is better. I listen to Steve Vai's Ultra zone a lot but Ive never read a review. it might be considered shithouse!

[username]

For everybody who put CD in the 9/10 ranges.... I'm wondering.... what is the scale you people use anyway?

I mean.... On a 1 to 10 scale... In the 9-10 region I'd put things like Dark Side Of The Moon, Sgt. Pepper's, Exile On Main St, Zep IV, A Night At The Opera, Thriller, Highway 61 Revisited, Revolver, Hunky Dory, Pet Sounds, Ziggy Stardust, Kind Of Blue, Rubber Soul, Nico, Are You Experienced, Born To Run, Wish You Were Here, Morning Glory, Abbey Road....

We're talking albums here that were not only absolutely fucking great, but that made a lasting impact on culture and music for years to come.

If there is an infinite number of universes in which an infinite number of possibilities exist, Chinese Democracy still can't be even anywhere NEAR those albums in any of them. MAYBE Appetite would come close, but Chinese Democracy? I mean....really? REALLY?

Edited September 18, 2015 by username

[SoulMonster]

For everybody who put CD in the 9/10 ranges.... I'm wondering.... what is the scale you people use anyway?

I mean.... On a 1 to 10 scale... In the 9-10 region I'd put things like Dark Side Of The Moon, Sgt. Pepper's, Exile On Main St, Zep IV, A Night At The Opera, Thriller, Highway 61 Revisited, Revolver, Hunky Dory, Pet Sounds, Ziggy Stardust, Kind Of Blue, Rubber Soul, Nico, Are You Experienced, Born To Run, Wish You Were Here, Morning Glory, Abbey Road....

If there is an infinite number of universes in which an infinite number of possibilities exist, Chinese Democracy still can't be even anywhere NEAR those albums in any of them. MAYBE Appetite would come close, but Chinese Democracy? I mean....really? REALLY?

Another one with a prominent case of not-being-able-to-grasp-the-subjective-nature-of-musical-taste-itis.

[username]

For everybody who put CD in the 9/10 ranges.... I'm wondering.... what is the scale you people use anyway?

I mean.... On a 1 to 10 scale... In the 9-10 region I'd put things like Dark Side Of The Moon, Sgt. Pepper's, Exile On Main St, Zep IV, A Night At The Opera, Thriller, Highway 61 Revisited, Revolver, Hunky Dory, Pet Sounds, Ziggy Stardust, Kind Of Blue, Rubber Soul, Nico, Are You Experienced, Born To Run, Wish You Were Here, Morning Glory, Abbey Road....

If there is an infinite number of universes in which an infinite number of possibilities exist, Chinese Democracy still can't be even anywhere NEAR those albums in any of them. MAYBE Appetite would come close, but Chinese Democracy? I mean....really? REALLY?

Another one with a prominent case of not-being-able-to-grasp-the-subjective-nature-of-musical-taste-itis.

Hey, enjoy your bubble, man. I'm just saying I can't even begin to understand it.

Plus, I'm not the one continuously trying to convinve everybody how an obviously failed album is underrated and overlooked because of heaven knows what crazy reasons.

[SoulMonster]

For everybody who put CD in the 9/10 ranges.... I'm wondering.... what is the scale you people use anyway?

I mean.... On a 1 to 10 scale... In the 9-10 region I'd put things like Dark Side Of The Moon, Sgt. Pepper's, Exile On Main St, Zep IV, A Night At The Opera, Thriller, Highway 61 Revisited, Revolver, Hunky Dory, Pet Sounds, Ziggy Stardust, Kind Of Blue, Rubber Soul, Nico, Are You Experienced, Born To Run, Wish You Were Here, Morning Glory, Abbey Road....

If there is an infinite number of universes in which an infinite number of possibilities exist, Chinese Democracy still can't be even anywhere NEAR those albums in any of them. MAYBE Appetite would come close, but Chinese Democracy? I mean....really? REALLY?

Another one with a prominent case of not-being-able-to-grasp-the-subjective-nature-of-musical-taste-itis.

Hey, enjoy your bubble, man. I'm just saying I can't even begin to understand it.

Plus, I'm not the one continuously trying to convinve everybody how an obviously failed album is underrated and overlooked because of heaven knows what crazy reasons.

Neither am I.

To add to my former point: I disagree with numerous of your listed albums being tenners. I have no problems with you putting them up there, though, and I acknowledge that very many people would agree with you. I just have a slightly different taste in music. Just like I have in other aspects of life. For instance, I hate whisky. But I would never demonstrate my ignorance by rambling on about how hard it is for me to understand that others acually do like it. Simply because taste isn't subject to be dissected by cognition (yet). There is nothing to understand about it. Well, except the fact that humans enjoy different things. And THAT is obviously what you really don't understand.

[Lies They Tell]

For everybody who put CD in the 9/10 ranges.... I'm wondering.... what is the scale you people use anyway?

If you're actually curious, check out page 12. 10 = excellent 9 = great and so on... We're talking about personal taste here. Born To Run is a boring album if you ask me, regardless of what kind of an impact it had on our culture. But I understand if you give it a ten. I even understand if someone gives Justin Biebers albums a ten. Cause they like them for whatever reason.

I can give tons of reasons why I prefer CD over anything by Bruce Springsteen. But is it necessary? Personal taste is personal taste.

Edited September 18, 2015 by Lies They Tell

[wasted]

But you know all those 10/10 classics, not everyone thinks they are 10s.

But there is a majority consensus or something. Do we have to hunt down everyone who didnt give Exile a 10? No not really.

It would be sad world where we just buy the top 100 rock records and say everything else sucks without finding out for ourselves.

Dont get me wrong for most part they are right, apart from Radiohead records. But there should be wiggle room for personal taste.

For me its which records i can listen all the way theough. Black and Blue is like that. LA Woman. Hotel California. On a Beach. CD. Angel Dust. Be Here Now. In Utero. Razor's Edge. Pump, Rust in Peace.

Edited September 18, 2015 by wasted

[downzy]

Songs like Madagascar, which I thought was brilliant the first time I heard it at Rio back in 2001, didn't do much for me seven years later when I listened to the recorded version.

Exactly the same here. Final version is meh.

I don't really have any issues with the final version that ended up on the album, it's just by the time I heard it I had been listening to the song for seven years. I actually liked how Axl sang on the album version of the song, but as I said, it's still the same song.

[downzy]

For everybody who put CD in the 9/10 ranges.... I'm wondering.... what is the scale you people use anyway?

I mean.... On a 1 to 10 scale... In the 9-10 region I'd put things like Dark Side Of The Moon, Sgt. Pepper's, Exile On Main St, Zep IV, A Night At The Opera, Thriller, Highway 61 Revisited, Revolver, Hunky Dory, Pet Sounds, Ziggy Stardust, Kind Of Blue, Rubber Soul, Nico, Are You Experienced, Born To Run, Wish You Were Here, Morning Glory, Abbey Road....

We're talking albums here that were not only absolutely fucking great, but that made a lasting impact on culture and music for years to come.

If there is an infinite number of universes in which an infinite number of possibilities exist, Chinese Democracy still can't be even anywhere NEAR those albums in any of them. MAYBE Appetite would come close, but Chinese Democracy? I mean....really? REALLY?

All of those albums you listed weren't released a decade and a half post the band's prime years. That's the difference for me.

It's really difficult to objectively assess an album like Chinese Democracy since there wasn't a whole lot of momentum around it or the band. Would Pet Sounds been as culturally significant had it been released in 1981 with Brian Wilson as the sole member of the Beach Boys, even if it were the exact same album? I'd say not, since we know what happened when Wilson finally released the long buried album Smile back in 2004 to a lot of fanfare the first month and then nothing soon after (much like Chinese Democracy; both albums received nearly universal acclaim by critics and sold well out of the gate, but were forgotten soon after).

A band has its prime years where momentum carries them. Albums/songs released during these years often receive praise and support because of said momentum. Let's say Axl released Chinese Democracy back in 94 or 95? Can we agree that it would have likely sold millions of albums than it did in 2008? If so, isn't there a succinct chance that songs like Better, TWAT, and perhaps a few others might now be considered iconic or legendary and those attending concerts from 2002 to 2015 would have wanted to hear them just as much as songs like You Could Be Mine or November Rain?

Like I said, I think it's extremely difficult to objectively measure the inherent worth of something as it relates to time and place. For many, myself included, GNR was the soundtrack of our youths. We look back fondly of the hits and deep cuts of Appetite, Lies, and UYI 1&2 because they connect us to our youth. There's no association or connection with Chinese Democracy with my youth. As we get older, we get a little more cynical, and little less impressed with new music that we compare to our favourites we grew up on, and hence I'm not sure if we give newer music a fair shake.

But hey, that's just my opinion.

[Free Bird]

6/10

There are 3 GREAT songs, one or two good songs, but too many of whom that making me feel embarrassed by hearing them